So many people underestimate the importance of oral health. The teeth and gums are such a major part of a person’s health, and poor care of these areas of the mouth can lead to a host of problems related to the actual health of your body. For this reason, having a good dental coverage is important. The cost of dental services is going up along with everything else, and without some type of dental plan or dental insurance the cost of even the most basic of services can be anything but affordable—so much so that one’s oral health can seriously suffer.

If you are worried about the health of your teeth, you should be. You only get one set, and if you want to do things right, both preventative care and basic maintenance are important. One major step in your oral health plan is deciding what type of dental plan or dental insurance to go with and why. To help you in your efforts to make an informed decision between the two, let’s take a closer look at each one so that you can see why having a dental plan is so important.

What is Dental Insurance?

As you may know, dental insurance involves an ongoing policy that a person makes regular payment on. Those payments are typically made on a monthly basis, like a health insurance payment might be. Dental insurance requires a premium whether it is being utilized or not, and it is often offered by employers. In many cases, dental insurance is obtained by individuals who either do not have or are not eligible for coverage through their employers.

When it comes to dental insurance, most insurance companies create a schedule of services that are covered and the amount of money that must be paid out-of-pocket for each service. The more basic the service is, the less money there is to be paid out of pocket. Things such as a basic teeth cleaning and exams would have a substantially lower co-payment than a root canal or an extraction, which is why preventative services are usually covered at or near 100 percent.

Most dental insurance policies provide great coverage for preventative and basic services, but not emergency services or more complicated things like the extraction of teeth, root canals, bridges, and other things of that nature. The aim of these companies is usually to provide inexpensive preventative care and keep the number of large claims down; at the same time, even those who are not using their insurance would be paying a monthly premium to have the insurance. Regardless of whether or not the services are needed, the premium is required to prevent a lapse in coverage.

Dental Plans

On the flip side, there is another option for those who need dental work, and that is a dental plan. In essence, a dental plan is a discount policy for those who are in need of dental services, and they are substantially less expensive than actual dental insurance coverage. While the amount that must be paid out of pocket is sometimes higher for services, it decreases the overall amount of money that must be paid in the long run for services that may or may not be needed. Usually you pay only one annual premium, and you get a great discount on each of your services. A dental plan is wonderful for those who do not have a job that offers dental coverage as well as those who do not need dental work on a regular basis.

For those who aren’t working or just don’t want to have to bother with another bill every month, the dental plan certainly outweighs the idea of a traditional dental insurance plan.

Dental Plan Benefits

There are so many benefits to a dental plan that are often overlooked. To name a few:

1. Premiums for a dental plan are significantly less costly than that of a traditional dental insurance plan. Usually paid in annual increments, you won’t have to worry about the difficulty of yet another monthly bill.

2. There are no huge deductibles to be paid with a dental plan.

You simply get a substantial discount on the actual cost of the services. This eliminates having to figure out if you have reached your out-of-pocket maximum and things of that nature. The less math that needs to be done, the easier things are on you!

3. It is much easier to switch dentists with a dental plan. If you move across town, you can just find another dentist that participates in your chosen dental plan.

4. You can use your dental plan as often or as seldom as you like.

If you want your teeth cleaned every three months instead of every six months, you still get your discount. Dental insurance plans only allow some services on an annual or bi-annual basis, so a dental plan truly puts you in control of your oral health needs. This applies to all services. You decide how often you want to see the dentist. Why let some big conglomerate decide such a thing for you?

5. You can enroll in a dental plan whenever you want to.

You don’t have to wait for an enrollment period to open, as many dental insurance carriers may require.

6. Pre existing conditions are covered with dental plans.

Most dental insurance carriers have written exclusions for pre existing conditions into their policy. That means if you have a cavity before you enrolled in their plan, that is your problem! Most people are inclined to purchase coverage when they realize they have a problem with their teeth; obviously this exclusion presents a problem for such customers.

Both dental insurance coverage and dental plans are effective ways of taking care of the health of your teeth and gums. As it is so often overlooked, it is important to find some way to make the cost of dental care more affordable, and unfortunately dental insurance policies are usually not the way to go. Those who have a history of healthy teeth and gums and occasionally need an appointment with a dentist may find that dental insurance coverage is adequate, but many others do not.

For those out there who want deeply discounted dental work but don’t want to commit to the premiums or the fine print of insurance companies, dental plans are the way to go. Best of all, you can sign up with a dental plan today, and see a dentist earlier than you probably ever thought possible!